Rio Rancho council approves IGA, water-authority talks and $1M budget adjustment for Project Ranger after safety, road and water conditions

Rio Rancho’s governing body voted to approve three linked measures supporting Project Ranger — an industrial manufacturing site proposed by Castellian Corporation — while adding conditions intended to protect public safety and city infrastructure.

The council adopted an amended intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Sandoval County to advance right‑of‑way work for Paseo Del Vulcan and related economic development priorities. Council required that, before the city releases any funds, the county and city must execute a written memorandum of understanding (MOU) specifying which agency serves as the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), how plan review and fire‑code enforcement will be handled, the scope of annual inspections, pre‑incident planning and incident action plans, and other fire‑safety responsibilities. A second MOU must set out the phases, funding sources and maintenance responsibilities for the road‑construction plan tied to the project.

Council also approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to negotiate and enter an agreement to provide water — and potentially wastewater — services to the site, and separately approved a $1,000,000 budget adjustment to fund economic development expenditures tied to the project.

Council debate and public comment that preceded the votes centered on safety, water and transportation. James Winslow, Rio Rancho Fire Chief, told the council that automatic aid arrangements mean the city’s crews are often the first responders to calls in the area and urged formal agreements and pre‑incident planning. “There’s about six different types of calls that I anticipate Project Ranger and how it will impact Rio Rancho Fire Rescue,” Winslow said, listing routine medicals, motor‑vehicle accidents, hazardous‑materials incidents and rare, large‑scale events.

Andrew Kreitz, Castellian’s co‑founder and CFO, described Project Ranger as “a scale production site for solid rocket motors” and outlined multiple layers of safety controls, including compliance with Department of Defense manual DOD 4145, Sandia‑led plume modeling, separation distances, perimeter security and spill‑management planning. Kreitz said static‑fire testing would occur on site during business hours and that Castellian is working with the New Mexico Environment Department on air‑quality and plume assessments.

Mark Roper, director of economic development for the New Mexico Economic Development Department, framed the project as a major economic opportunity: “Our analysis has indicated that this project will generate $650,000,000 in overall economic impact over the next 10 years,” he said, and estimated roughly $30 million in direct fiscal impact to the state, county and city across a decade.

Opponents at the podium raised water‑quality, groundwater and plume concerns, and asked why Rio Rancho was not more fully engaged earlier in the recruitment process. “This plant is going to be near three of our wells,” said a local resident during public comment. Several speakers said they wanted more community meetings and clearer commitments on truck routes. Supporters — including engineers, an elected official who described national security imperatives, and county representatives — emphasized jobs, lab partnerships and existing regulatory reviews.

Councilors asked for and received several written commitments during deliberations. County officials and Castellian representatives gave verbal assurances that the MOUs and outreach would be completed; councilors also required that non‑hazardous administrative and office buildings at the site be equipped with fire sprinklers. The IGA passed on roll call with a majority; the recorded vote on the amended IGA was yes by Councilors Dabson, Tyler, Weimer, Linnentine and List and no by Councilor Culbreth. The water‑service resolution and the budget adjustment passed on subsequent roll calls.

The council scheduled a December update to review progress on community outreach and MOU negotiations. Castellian representatives told the council that, under the state‑land lease and safety regulations, energetics production will not begin until required safety plans, permits and federal certifications are in place. That means energy‑bearing materials are not expected on site until after the company completes design work and regulatory reviews, company representatives said.

With the votes concluded, the mayor closed the meeting. The approved MOUs will be the primary mechanism council members specified to ensure that fire‑response roles, plan‑review authority and road funding responsibilities are explicit before funds are delivered.